-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was thrust into the national spotlight on two hot-button issues this week .

It had nothing to do with the cases involved -- same-sex marriage in Utah and a requirement for contraceptive coverage under Obamacare .

The two emergency appeals on New Year 's Eve came her way because the cases originated in western areas of the country -- Colorado and Utah -- that fall under her jurisdiction for reviewing time-sensitive federal motions .

Sotomayor sought more information on an appeal from Utah to uphold its voter-approved ban on same-sex unions in the state .

But she made headlines on the politically charged case around the Affordable Care Act just as new rules were about to take effect .

Sotomayor issued an order that , for the moment , stayed a requirement under the sweeping health law for certain religiously affiliated groups to ensure that employees receive coverage for contraception at no cost .

The Denver-based organization that cares for elderly poor , the Little Sisters of the Poor , objects to complying with rules under the law that would guarantee it an exemption but , in theory , still require a third party to provide contraception insurance .

Ultimately , it believes authorizing a form that passes the ball to another entity still means contraception coverage for its employees and that , to the nuns , is objectionable on moral grounds . The Catholic Church opposes artificial contraception .

While Sotomayor 's emergency injunction or any follow up to extend it or seek the opinion of her fellow justices for additional review may seem like a blow to the politically charged health care law , it is n't .

Nor does it convey any meaning about where Sotomayor , a liberal jurist , may stand on the larger issues raised in the appeal overall .

`` She just placed a single case on hold . She did not overturn Obamacare , '' CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said .

Her decision late on Tuesday simply put the brakes on compliance for the Little Sisters of the Poor and enabled the Obama administration to file its arguments .

The Justice Department said on Friday the appeal lacked merit . The charity , it said , is eligible for an exemption and moreover , the entity that administers its insurance plans , the non-profit Christian Brothers Services , is also exempt under certain conditions in the Obamacare rules applying to religious institutions .

Toobin said Sotomayor acted `` based on her view of the law '' in holding up the rule in this case .

Sotomayor voted to uphold The Affordable Care Act in 2012 in a blockbuster Supreme Court ruling that gave Obama an enormous political victory .

Obamacare seeks to extend health coverage to millions of Americans without it and is the President 's signature domestic achievement . It is relentlessly under attack from conservatives who have made numerous attempts to repeal or otherwise sink it , and is the focus of numerous legal challenges .

@highlight

Sotomayor upheld Obamacare last year , now she 's in the spotlight again in another appeal

@highlight

She issued stay to give Denver nuns reprieve on providing birth control to workers

@highlight

`` She just placed a single case on hold . She did not overturn Obamacare , '' analyst says

@highlight

Sotomayor got the case because the nuns live in Denver , a town in her `` region ''